Musical saw



June 13, 1950 c, CARTER 2,510,957

MUSICAL SAW Filed Aug. 9, 1946 I Jive/1707' C/zar/es G 6212721,"

I %ZW%WWM [Mir/rays Patented June 13, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MUSICAL SAW Char es G: ar a a nezu Application August 9, 1946, Serial No. 689,537

8 Claims. (01. 84-402) My invention relates to saw-s and more particularly to musical saws.

The object of my invention is to provide a musical saw adapted to be played with a bow, a hammer or a pick.

Another object of my invention is to provide a musical saw having curved metal attachments on the wooden saw handle fitting under one-and over the other thigh, while playing the saw, for holding the saw morecomfortably and controlling the vibrations.

A further object of my invention is to provide a musical saw having a plurality of sets of fretgrooves cut into one of the surfaces of the saw blade adjacent the'back of the-saw and adapted to be engaged by a whale-bone or steel pick to play the musical saw, producing notes similar to a Hawaiian guitar.

A still furtherobject of'my invention is to provide a musical saw and a bone handle bow to play the saw, not in theusual jerky way but in long smooth strokes.

An additional object of my invention is to provide a musical saw and a wooden hammer or mallet to play the saw and to produce double notes similar to the Degan Bells.

Other objects of my invention not especially mentioned may appear in the following specification describing my invention with reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention.

It is, however, to be understood-that my invention is, not to be limited or restricted to the exact construction and combination'of part-s described in the specification and shown in the drawing, but that such changes and modifications can be made, which fall within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational side view of a musical saw according to my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of a person vplaying a musical saw according to my invention.

in Figure 1.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, the

musical saw forming the'subiect-.;matter of my'invention has a blade preferably made from high grade tool steel of approximately thickness.

It isabout as big as a large wood cutting hand onto the blade in a conventional and well=known manner.

A metal support member I2 is made from a flat strip of suitable alloy and is bent to provide a downwardly directed concave surface which adapted to fit over the left thigh of a person just above the knee. A straight flat piece I; of the same kind of metal is hingedly connected with the support member l2, as shown at [4, and is firmly attached to the inner cross piece l5 of the handle H by means of a plurality of rivets IS. The straight flat metal piece I3 is fastened to the handle ll, so that the support member l2 extends alongside of the blade lfl, when it is pivoted into open position, and is located next to the handle I I when it is folded in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figure 2.

A brace I1 is formed similar to the support member I2 and is made from the same metal. A straight flat piece 18 of the same strip of metal is hingedly connected with the brace 11, as shown at 20., and is fastened onto the outer crosspiece 2;] of the saw handle. It is located at the same side of the handle [I as the support member 12 and is arranged thereon, so that the curved brace ll extends outwardly from the handle I I and curves in the opposite direction to the support member l2, when it is in open position, as shown in the drawing. Thus,-the brace H is formed with an upwardly directed concave surface adapted to fit beneath the other thigh of the player.

When it is folded it is located alongside the handle H .on the opposite side to the support member 12 as indicated by the arrows 22 in Figure .2.

When amusical saw equipped with the brace T andsllpport member L2 is to be used, these two elements are opened and the brace i1 is placed under the right thigh of the sitting player, while the, member [2 lies on top of the left thi h.

In the surface of the blade 10, which is on top, when the saw is inoperativeposition as described above, a, plurality of longitudinally-spaced sets .of transversely-spaced fret grooves 23 are provided. Each set consists of a plurality of grooves 23, which are arranged parallel to each other, so that each set extends from the back of the saw blade ilt-toward the teeth thereon. The grooves 23 are each substantially identical and cor-responding grooves of .eachset are aligned whereby to simulate guitar or like, s rings.

saw, and :a hardwood handle 1| isnrmly fastened on Attention, is called t the fact ha wh eesch 3 set of fret-grooves is shown to consist of four fretgrooves, any desired number of grooves may be assembled to form a set.

The fret-grooves are cut into the saw blade l so that each groove 23 has back wall extending vertically into the blade and an upwardly and rearwardly inclined or sloping front wall, as clearly shown in Figure 5.

A wooden hammer or mallet 24 can be used to play the musical saw. To do so, the saw is placed in operative position, and the end of the saw is gripped tightly in the left hand. The saw blade [0 is bent back and forth in a well-known manner to produce the desired notes, when the blade H! is struck with the mallet 24, producing double notes, similar to Degan Bells, sounding as if two hammers were being used.

Instead of the mallet 2d, a bow 25 can be used to play the musical saw according to my invention. This bow has a bone handle 25 and is constructed substantially like a violin bow.

I-leretofore a bow was held in the middle when being used to play a musical saw, and was moved overthe saw in jerks; In playing a musical saw according to my invention the bow is held at the handle end and is moved in long even strokes,

producing clear smooth notes, in contrast to the tinny notes produced heretofore.

Finally the musical saw according to m inventioncan be played by using a pick 21 illustrated .in Figure 4 and made from whale-bone or steel. This pick is used to engage the sets of fret-grooves, whereby notes are produced similarto those of a Hawaiian guitar. The pick 21 is moved across the surface of the saw blade Ill, sliding into the grooves 23 over the sloping front portion of each groove 23 and engages the vertical'back of the groove.

The above description shows clearly how a musical saw according to my invention is adapted to be held and supported securely and'comfortably while being used, and that it can be played with three different instruments, namely a hammer, a bow and a pick.

A musical saw according to my invention produces notes entirely different in quality and timbre from the notes produced by the musical saws known heretofore. 7

When the musical saw of the present invention is not in use it can be fitted easil into a carry- ,metal blade, the improvement comprising a brace carried by said handle and extending therefrom in a direction opposite to said blade, said'brace being formed with an upwardly directed concave surface adapted to fit beneath one thighof a player, a support carried by said handle and extending therefrom alongside said blade in spaced relation thereto, and said support being formed with a downwardly directed concave surface adapted to fit atop the opposite thigh of said player.

2. In a musical saw, including a handle and a metal blade, the improvement comprising a brace carried by said handle and extending therefrom in a direction opposite to said blade, said brace being formed with an upwardly directed concave surface adapted to fit beneath one thigh of a player, a

support carried by said handle and extending therefrom alongside said blade in spaced relation thereto, said support being formed with a downwardly directed concave surface adapted to fit atop the opposite thigh of said player, and means hingedly connecting each of said brace and support to said handle for swinging movement to inoperative positions along opposite sides of said handle.

3. In a musical saw, including a handle and a metal blade, the improvement comprising a brace carried by said handle and extending therefrom in a direction opposite to said blade, said brace being formed with an upwardly directed concave surface adapted to fit beneath one thigh of a player, a support carried by said handle and extending therefrom alongside said blade in spaced relation thereto, said support being formed with a downwardly directed concave surface adapted to fit atop the opposite thigh of said player, means hingedly connecting each of said brace and support to said handle for swinging movement to inoperative positions along opposite sides of said handle, and said blade having an upper surface formed to provide a plurality of longitudinallyspaced sets of transversely-spaced fret grooves therein, said grooves simulating the strings and frets of a stringed instrument. r

4. In amusical saw, including a handle and a metal blade, the improvement comprising a brace carried by said handle and extending therefrom in a direction opposite to said blade, said brace being formed, with an upwardly directed concave surface adapted to fit beneath one thigh of a player, a support carried by said handle and extending therefrom alongside said blade in spaced relation thereto, said support being formed with adownwardly directed concave surface adapted to fit atop the opposite thighof said player, means hingedly connecting each of said brace and support to said handle for swinging movement to inoperative positions along opposite sides of said handle, said blade having an upper surface formed to provide a plurality of longitudinallyspaced setsv of transversely-spaced fret grooves therein, said grooves simulating the strings and frets of a stringeduinstrument, corresponding grooves of adjacent sets being longitudinally aligned, and the grooves of each set being transversely aligned.

5 In a musical saw, including a handle, the improvement comprising a blade fixed to said handle and including an upper surface, said upper surface being formed to provide a plurality of longitudinally-spaced sets of transversely-spaced fret grooves therein adapted to be selectively stroked by a pick to produce guitar-simulating sounds.

6. In a musical saw, including a handle,.the improvement comprising a blade fixed to said handle and including an upper surface, said upper surface being formed to provide a plurality of longitudinally-spaced sets of transverselyspaced fret grooves therein adapted to be selectively stroked by a pick to produce guitar-simulating sounds, said blade including a back, and each of said'fret grooves being defined by a vertical rear wall facing away from said back and an upwardly and rearwardly inclined forward wall.

'7. In a musical saw, including a handle, the improvement comprising a blade fixed to said handle and including an upper surface, said upper surface being formed to provide a plurality of longitudinally-spaced sets of transversely-spaced fret grooves therein adapted to be selectively stroked by a pick to produce guitar-simulating sounds, there being a like number of grooves in each set,

and all of said grooves being of the same length and substantially identical.

8. In a musical saw, including a handle, the improvement comprising a blade fixed to said handle and. including an upper surface, said upper surface being formed to provide a plurality of longitudinally-spaced sets of transverselyspaced fret grooves therein adapted to be selectively stroked by a pick to produce guitar-simulating sounds, there being a like number of 10 Number grooves in each set, all of said grooves being of the same length and substantially identical, corresponding grooves of each set being longitudinally aligned, and the grooves 01' each set being transversely aligned.

CHARLES G. CARTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 633,488 Reed Sept. 19, 1899 1,351,499 Takano Aug. 31, 1920 1,573,695 Fields et a1. Feb. 16, 1926 

